I had promised Graham that we would see whales if he sailed down to the Northern coast of Spain with me last year.

Whilst on passage to Santander the year before last, we saw six whales, one of which surfaced several times alongside us on either side and then swam immediately beneath us just inches below our keel for several minutes. It was as a result of my enthusiasm about this exiting and moving encounter that Graham, Rupert and Brian agreed to join me for a three week cruise to Santander via Brittany, followed by a non-stop passage back to Poole over 7 days. The other two berths on our return passage were to be filled by David and Harry who both joined us by ferry at Santander.

After two days on our return passage, Graham was heard to say that having seen no whales he would soon be asking for a discount on his course fee.

Early next morning, in fact at 03.00 hrs I awoke to hear shouts of “whales, and there’s lots of them.”

Struggling out of my quarter berth I rushed up through the companionway to see the dark shapes of what we later decided were Pilot whales, on both sides of us, the nearest swimming just four feet away on our port side.

Harry and Rupert who had also been down below and who had joined us in the cockpit reported that just prior to coming on deck they had been able to hear exited squealing from the whales. I went back down below to listen to this extraordinary sound, I have often heard dolphins making a similar sound but this was much louder.

While I stayed below to listen a more worrying sound began to develop. At first gently and then more insistently the whales began to hit us on our port bow, this developed into a rhythmic bashing as each whale in turn rammed us in a very purposeful manner.

We began to feel extremely concerned for the safety of our boat. My first attempt to frighten them away involved flushing loo cleaner down the head, this failed to have any affect on them at all. I then decided that starting the engine might do the trick. I turned on the ignition and asked the crew to put the gear lever into neutral and prime the engine. During the brief moment while I waited to press the start button, I noticed the ignition alarm had come on and that the squealing from the whales had suddenly changed to an exited frenzy and their buffeting had become even harder than before. I quickly turned the ignition off as I instantly realized that the alarm sound was almost identical to the squealing of the whales and it must have confirmed their suspicions that my boat, the Henry Morgan, was another whale, they therefore re-doubled their efforts to communicate with and to persuade us to change our course to starboard.

As soon as the gear lever had been put into neutral and the engine primed I started the engine, the buffeting and squealing quickly stopped, the whales stayed with us for a few minutes, we could see them on either side with our torches, but gradually, one by one, they left us.

Later that day the wind increased and we were forced to change down to our working jib and take in a second reef. In doing so, we ripped the mainsail the full length of the batten pocket, and decided that it would be prudent to motor sail on a close reach to Cameret  under just our working jib, to have our mainsail repaired. This involved altering our course to Starboard by about 100 degrees, I wonder if the Pilot whales were trying to tell us something earlier that day.

We arrived at Cameret at 10.00 hrs the next morning and for the last three to four miles were escorted in by a school of Dolphins who gave us a wonderful display of acrobatics.

My long cruise this year will be to Ireland; Graham has already said that he will come with me. I wonder if we will see any whales.  I will not make any promises though, this time.